They Pulled Me From The River Thyle
by Mysterious Loser
Summary: It's nearing Parents' Day at the Academy and a discussion in the workshop regarding each students' parents raises one particular question: what about Flay's parents?
1. Flay's Parents

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Mana Khemia or any of the characters.

**A/N:** This is my first Mana Khemia story, so please be nice to me. It's also really hard because it's Flay centric, and I really don't think there's such a thing as an "emotional Flay." But I'm gonna try it! Let me know how I do!

**\/\/\/**

**They Pulled Me From The River Thyle**

**Chapter One**

**Flay's Parents**

**\/\/\/**

"Hey, Vayne, did you see the bulletin in Student Affairs?"

Vayne Aurelius glanced up from his book and moved his attention to the pink haired girl. Jess was fumbling with her hands as she walked into the workshop, which always meant she was excited for something.

"No," he answered. "What did the bulletin say?"

"Well!" she plopped down into the chair next to him, startling Sulpher, who had been sleeping at Vayne's feet. "Since it's almost graduation, and we're seniors now, the school says it's time to show off our senior projects."

His mind reeled back to the grueling hours he had spent on the alchemy of different metals. White, red, blue, and black had more than enough information about them, but when he was forced to study the gold bullions, he was positive that he was near certain death.

_Let's not go back to that train of thought,_ Vayne chuckled to himself.

"Yeah?" he continued, distracting himself from the memory of the horrible project. "What's the big deal?"

"For one day, the school allows the students' parents to come by and see the progress that their son or daughter is making. It's a 'seniors only' kind of thing."

Vayne took a moment to imbibe her words, running them through his mind over and over. So, for one day, parents were allowed to explore the campus and the students' projects for the year.

"Uh…" he forced a smile, "That's great, Jess."

"Huh?" she blinked, and then finally realized the error of her ways. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Vayne. I was so caught up in it and the way that everyone else was acting about it, I totally forgot to consider your feelings!"

"It's not really a big deal," he shrugged. "I never met my dad, and Sulpher's always kind of been like family to me, anyway."

Jess scooted the chair closer, leaning in, "But what about your mom, Vayne? Do you remember her?"

Vayne closed his book for good, figuring that this conversation was nowhere near its end. "Mom? I don't think I have one."

Jess' cheeks puffed out and she balled her fists together, "You _have_ to have a mom, Vayne. How else could you be born?" Vayne appeared confused. "There needs to be both a dad _and_ a mom in order for a child to be born. Even you should know _that._"

"Should know what?"

Both Vayne and Jess turned their heads to the oncoming voice as the door to the workshop swung open and Pamela and Anna stood there. The fluffy ghost floated in while Anna placed her katana onto its stand, done with the training for that day.

"Oh, hey guys," Jess waved. "We were just discussing whether or not Vayne had a mom."

"Well, of _course_ Vayne would have to have a mom," Anna said, as though it had been the most well-known fact in all of the world. "How else could he be born?"

"But…" Vayne attempted to speak, his entire defense being chopped up into pieces, "…I don't remember my mother."

"That doesn't mean that you don't have one," Pamela said. Then, her face lit up as a thought crossed her path, "Say, I'll bet she was a great mom! She probably gave you lots of stuffed animals, and sang you lullabies at night, and…"

Vayne stooped over and stared at his feline companion. "How about it, Sulpher? Did I have a mom?"

The black cat peeked its head out from underneath his paw, one ear twitching. He meowed, tiredly, _"I don't remember you having a mother of any sort, Vayne."_

"Oh…I see." Vayne sat back up, where all eyes were on him.

"Well?" Pamela nudged. "What did Sulpher say?"

Vayne dropped his book to the floor beside him and stood up, stretching. "He said that he never met my mom."

"It was never stated if Theofratus had a wife or not in his final years," Roxis walked in, followed by Nikki.

"Yeah, but wasn't it you who said that nothing was even _written_ about his final years?" the beast-woman pointed out.

Roxis stopped to rub his chin, "True, but even if she _were_ alive today, there's no one who knows about it."

"Well, we only just realized that Vayne was his son," Anna spoke up. "There are still a lot of mysteries revolving around the situation."

"How did we get on this topic, anyway?" Nikki asked, seating herself in front of the workshop cauldron. "Roxis and I only caught the last bit of what you guys were saying."

"Oh, we were talking about the bulletin in Student Affairs." Jess turned and jerked a thumb in Vayne's direction, "He asked me the importance of it and I told him."

"Ohhhh," Nikki grabbed her knees and rocked back and forth. "You guys are talking about inviting your parents to the academy."

"That's out of the question for me," Roxis pushed his glasses up with his forefinger and began to move about the workbench in the back of the room. "My family wouldn't come."

"That's not very nice," Nikki stuck a tongue out at him. "You should at _least_ invite them."

"That's not what I meant. My parents are always very busy; if I invited them to something like this, they'd probably just send a representative in their place, anyway."

"I wouldn't _want_ my parents coming," the beast-woman leaned back, stretching one arm over her head. "Then they'd bring all of the kids and it would be one big disaster!"

Anna looked back at her. "Well, wouldn't you _want_ to set an example for your brothers and sisters, Nikki? They might come to the academy, too, one day."

"All thirty-four of them? No thanks!"

The entire workshop was taken aback. Mouths agape, they stared at one another.

"T-Thirty-four?" Jess was scared to repeat the number aloud, but Nikki seemed quite all right with it.

"Yup. Well, they're my half siblings, of course. Mom has many hubbies, and dad's got a lot of wives." The faces around her confused her. "What?"

"Why?" the ghost dared to ask.

"Well, because it's animal instinct, of course!"

"That's right," Vayne mused. "Remember, Flay told us that a while back. Since Nikki's not human, her animalistic instincts kick in and the desire to multiply is more intense than for the rest of us."

Nikki bobbed her head up and down, proud. Jess stuck out her tongue, Roxis snorted, Anna turned her head away, and Pamela hid her face away behind her giant teddy bear.

"That answer scares me," the ghost whispered.

"It's perfectly natural to me," again, all faces turned to the doorway, where a soft bodied creature floated into the room, poking out from within a blue pot. "Every twenty-five years, we reproduce and make many babies."

"Ugh, don't _remind_ me," Roxis groaned, the thought of having to pop all of the Muppy babies coming to mind. "We got into a lot of trouble because of you. Don't forget that."

"I can't help my body," Muppy told him. "And, besides, that's all over with, anyway."

"Over with for _you,_ maybe. How on earth can you possibly be able to watch over that many children?" Roxis momentarily stopped the preparation he had been making and turned his attention completely to the alien. "It must've been difficult for your mother and father to deal with so many of you."

"You act as if you know us," Muppy shot back, acidly. "For your information, I practically _raised_ my siblings. Being in line as the heir to the crown royal family, it requires a vast amount of responsibilities."

"There you go with that 'crown royal' stuff again," the other man rolled his eyes. "Tell us the truth. You're nothing more than a commoner."

"This disgrace!" Muppy shot up. "You _dare_ compare me to _them!_" Once started, the little creature could not stop, "I'll have you know that it's been a miserable time trying to keep my beloved brother at bay, while it runs the risk of losing my throne, and my father is too busy to resolve our issues. And poor mother loves us all with individual care and compassion. Why, I remember as a child the sweaters she would make as we played in the falling snow. She even gave me my first guitar when I started the band…" At this, he trailed off until he finally fell silent altogether.

Jess leaned over and whispered to Vayne, "I kind of want to know what happened with him and the band."

"Well?" Roxis waited impatiently for Muppy to continue. "What next?"

"About what?"

"I'm interested. What else about your family? You said you practically raised your siblings."

"Ah, yes, that. Well, mother and father, they were very busy, you see, what with the throne to defend, so there were always the negotiations with other planets—"

"Forget it," Roxis interrupted, "I'm bored, now."

Muppy's cheeks puffed out, "Mr. Skeptical, huh? Well, if you're going to be that way, what was so wonderful about _your_ childhood?"

"Mine?" Roxis adjusted his glasses. "I spent a lot of time with my grandfather. He often told me stories of alchemists and their journeys to fame. That's why I took such an interest in Theofratus, but that's beside the point. In my spare time, I read in our library."

Muppy slouched down inside of his small pot. "…That's it? Nothing else? Seems to me like you were just as dull then as you are now."

"Hey! I'll admit that I'm not as much as an outdoors-person as the rest of you may be, but my time in the classroom has been valuable and taught me a great many deal of things."

"You didn't do much with your parents, did you, Roxis?" Jess placed her chin in the palm of her hand, resting her elbow on one knee.

He fidgeted. "That's…not it. Father was gone a lot, and mother was always having…parties. There was just never any time…to…" Nikki sniggered. He immediately turned on her, "If _you_ have something to say, then just say it!"

"I do, actually," she leaned forward. "Have you ever been fishing, Roxis?" He was about to say 'yes,' when she stopped him, "I mean before you met us. You don't seem like the sort. Well, I used to go on gathering hunts with my dad and brothers. Normally, they wouldn't let beast-women like myself go, but I wasn't like the other girls. I learned a lot on those hunts, like how to sleep in trees and avoid things bigger than you. Survival of the fittest! Do you know anything about survival of the fittest, Roxis?"

He scowled and went back to his work at the table.

Jess piped up, "I think I'm still in the process of learning that, Nikki." All eyes were fixed upon her, "When I was a child, I was really sick. There was some strange disease going around the village and I happened to catch it. I'm better, now, but my parents still treat me like I'm walking around half-dead. They never even wanted me to attend this academy for fear that I'd just die on the spot." By the time she had finished speaking, she was laughing hysterically.

Vayne just watched her with sad eyes. _Eventually…you will, Jess…_

"Man, so you probably never went out much," Nikki sighed. "What a lame childhood."

"I can relate," Anna, who had been quiet most of the time, spoke up. "My village is full of disciplinarians. Though, without them, I doubt we'd have the order in our society that is required for maintaining peace. My father is the village elder, but also a great man and an amazing teacher to me." She gestured to her katana, "He is filled with honor and pride; he is the one who showed me all of my sword arts. However, I am the one responsible for taking over the village when I'm sixteen. Therefore, I must become strong enough to endure marriage and leadership."

"That's right," Vayne nodded. "You're the one who said that they were against you attending the academy in the first place."

She mirrored his nod, "Yes, but only because I was unsure of what I wanted to do. Though…I believe I've decided now." Anna moved her eyes around the room, looking at each person individually, "I'm going to go back to the village when I graduate and take over as the next elder."

"And spend the rest of your life there?" Nikki rocked back and used the momentum to push herself to her feet. "Are _all_ of the people in our workshop _that_ uninteresting?" Then, turning to Pamela, she asked, "How about you? What was your childhood like?"

Pamela quickly made a face and hid behind her teddy bear—an action often illustrating her nervousness. "Uh…I don't remember my childhood much. But mom gave me lots of sweets. Oh, and teddy bears. I remember teddy bears."

"That's not surprising," Roxis poured two substances into one beaker. "It explains your childlike behavior."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Then, peering over his glasses, the blonde said, "You're the only one who hasn't talked about your childhood, Vayne."

"There's not much to discuss, really. I don't remember my dad, and I don't think I have a mother. And if I do, I definitely don't remember her." Looking down at his black cat, Vayne nearly whispered, "Sulpher's been my only family until I came here. That's about it."

"Yup," Nikki folded her arms over her chest. "Just like I thought. All boring."

"Well, what about Flay?" Pamela pointed out. "He's the only one we haven't talked about, yet."

"He's also the only one not here, either," Roxis added.

Anna looked around, bitterly. "It's probably because it's his turn to clean the workshop. I reminded him this morning, but I haven't seen him since."

Jess laughed. "Yeah, I'll bet that's it. But…now I'm curious. Does anyone even _know_ who Flay's parents are?"

"Does Flay even _have_ parents? I'm not sure who I feel sorry for more, him or his parents." Roxis waved his hand back and forth above the opening of the beaker, clearing away the materializing smoke.

"Of _course_ Flaya has to have parents, Roxis. How else could he have been born?"

"You…_really…_don't want me to answer that."

Nikki ignored him, "Hey, I'll bet Flaya's parents are just like him, only stronger! Maybe they're a rocketing duo, fighting for justice around the world!"

"Or maybe they're from an evil syndicate and are plotting our downfall this very moment," Vayne laughed, thoughts of Flay's determination to keep the "Defenders of Justice" alive filling his head.

"Think they know alchemy?" Anna turned to Vayne.

"Don't be ridiculous," Roxis steadied the beaker and motioned for Nikki to move as he walked toward the cauldron. "Be careful, one wrong move and this workshop is gone."

Nikki trotted off to one side and turned around. "Well, why else would Flaya want to join the academy anyway? It's not like he ever attends his classes, or does his assignments. …Maybe his parents forced him to join?"

"Well…" Vayne tapped a finger against his cheek. "He told me once that he was only here to learn alchemy as…an _observer._"

"And just what would he mean by that?" Roxis leaned far over the mouth of the cauldron, dumping in the contents from his beaker and waving away the smoke again. He leaned down to start a fire from underneath.

"What are you making, Roxis?" Jess stood up and pretended to peer inside.

"A bendable kind of metal. Nothing that would interest you. Now, anyway, as I was saying…"

Jess sat back down, discouraged, and muttered, "Shoot. If it was medicine, I would've helped."

"…Flay's reasons for joining the academy are not pure, I assure you. If it was his parents' decision, then I wonder what _their_ motives were."

"Ooooh, but _still,_ can't you picture a baby Flaya in his little undies?" Nikki giggled at the thought.

Jess followed up with, "Or, what about Flay in his grade school uniform with high socks and buckle shoes?"

By now, the entire workshop was filled with laughter. Pamela squeezed the teddy bear in her arms. "I'll bet his mom bought him lots of stuffed animals."

Anna, who had been trying to at _least _be a _little_ serious, could only restrain her chuckling with a hand over her mouth, "I'll bet he had to do chores when he was little."

"That's a sight I would like to see," Roxis waited for the fire to catch and rise before standing up and turning to the rest of his workmates. "Flay acting like a spoiled brat, I'm sure it would make for a perfect photo opportunity."

"I wonder, if we contacted his parents, would they tell us stories about Flay as a baby?" Jess was getting more and more excited by the minute. She turned to Vayne and nudged him a bit. "What do you think, Vayne?"

"About what?"

"Think Flay's parents are as crazy as him, or are they sweet, loving old people living in a cottage on the hill?"

"What? Where did _that_ come from?" Vayne looked back and forth from her to everyone else. "How are we supposed to know what Flay's parents are like?"

"What about my parents?"

All eyes whirled around and Vayne hastily jumped to his feet, careful not to step on the still sleeping cat below him.

"U-Uh…F-Flay! …How much of that did you hear?" The normally timid man forced a wobbly smile, scratching the back of his neck.

Flay failed to find the humor in the situation. "Enough. Instead of sitting here gossiping like a bunch of old geezers, you should be getting to those assignments."

"Aw, come on, Flaya," Nikki lightly slapped his arm. "We were gonna get to them; we were just chewing the fat for a bit."

"Well, unlike you," Roxis glared at her, "I _am_ working."

She shot an equally sour face back at him. "Yeah, whatever."

"Well, aren't you at least gonna tell us?" Vayne edged. "While we're on the subject…that is."

Flay quirked an eyebrow. "Tell you what?"

"About your parents."

Flay appeared upset at first, but then hooted in amusement. He gave attention to each of those who were staring at him and waved a hand, "I'm afraid I can't say. If I did, it would put their lives in danger."

"By who?" Jess asked.

"By those wishing to cause me harm, of course!" Flay turned and quickly walked from the workshop, but not quick enough to add, "No more goofing off! Finish those assignments!"

Vayne stood there, watching the empty doorway where Flay had once been.

**\/\/\/**

Please RnR if you liked it, but don't flame me.

ML


	2. The Letter

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Mana Khemia, but I own his parents and the river Thyle.

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews! I hope you continue to read.

**So from now on,** I'll be writing my stories in **order of importance.** If you want to see more of **this story,** please review and tell me so, or vote in the poll on my author's page. Thanks much!

**\/\/\/**

**They Pulled Me From The River Thyle**

**Chapter Two**

**The Letter**

**\/\/\/**

"Now I'm curious."

Sulpher opened one eye and then the other and, though he couldn't see Vayne's face clearly in the darkness, faced in the boy's general direction.

"_What's that?"_ he mewed.

Vayne pulled the covers up under his chin, getting as comfortable as he could in his dorm bed. A moonbeam hung in the window, illuminating only a corner of the carpet on his floor. All was quiet except for the breathing coming from both warm bodies in the room.

"I want to know about Flay's parents."

Sulpher turned back and snuggled deeper into his position on the end of Vayne's bed. _"You're still going on about that?"_

"Yeah, it's stupid, huh?"

"_I just don't understand what fascinates you about his parents. They're just like anybody else's family, right?"_

"Well…true, but…this is _Flay_ we're talking about, here. You know, always running around, shouting 'justice, justice, justice,' for whatever reason. It's not like Roxis, where his parents are rich aristocrats who never spend time with him, or Nikki's parents who aren't even _married_ to each other. It's almost like Flay's just always sort of…been _there._"

"_Don't be ridiculous."_

Vayne lay there a moment. "You're right. That's impossible." He turned to one side, but tried to make his movements as minimal as possible, as to not disturb his feline companion.

"_If you're __**that**__ interested, why don't you just ask him yourself?"_

The boy shuddered at the thought. He knew as well as anyone else that if Flay didn't want anyone to know his secrets, he would keep them as hidden as possible. _But is the same thing true about him letting me find out his "true identity?" And what about that underground base he keeps going on about behind the incinerator?_

"You know I can't do that, Sulpher. He'd never tell me anything."

"_Then it's a lost cause."_

Becoming frustrated, Vayne propped himself up on one arm and stared down at the dark silhouette that was the cat. "Say, why do you think he came here in the first place? He once told me that his real name isn't Flay at all, but the 'Defender of Justice.' He said that he was here disguised as a student named 'Flay' to learn alchemy and…'observe.'"

"_Observe? He reads way too many comic books."_

Vayne chuckled, "Yeah he does. So, how about it? Think his family sent him here?"

"_Well, you're right about one thing…"_ Sulpher got up, stretched, and began to pad around the bed, looking for a more comfortable place to lie through all of his master's tossing and turning, _"…he certainly doesn't seem serious enough to want to be here on his own. He's hardly ever at the workshop, and almost never comes to class."_

"Actually, he _has_ gotten better. And he's doing the assignments now, too. Which also makes me wonder…"

"_What?"_

"Was flunking his senior year also a part of his plan, too?"

"Somehow, I wouldn't be surprised."

Vayne completely sat up in bed, almost throwing Sulpher from the covers. The cat clung to the cotton for dear life, waiting for the augmented motions to cease. "But…it just doesn't make any sense!"

"_Vayne, please lie down and keep __**still**__, would you? I, too, would like to stay __**in**__ bed."_

"Oh!" he sunk back down under the covers, and didn't move again. "Sorry Sulpher."

"_Now then, I can understand where you're coming from, but speculating won't get you anywhere. If you don't want to ask Flay, why don't you just ask one of his teachers? Someone's bound to have that kind of information."_

"Hmm…" the gears in Vayne's head were turning. That was a splendid idea, but who had known Flay the longest? The Principal? Mr. Zeppel? "I guess I'll just have to ask around then."

"_Good. Now that we have that settled…"_ Sulpher was already coming back to his former place on the bed, ready to curl up and fall back to sleep, _"…good night, Vayne."_

"Good night, Sulpher."

\/\/\/

After class had ended for the day, everyone spent their time in the workshop, studying, cleaning, or just lounging around. Roxis, hogging the workbench, as usual, was busy preparing a synthesizing project for class the next day. He had dirtied all the beakers and made a large mess. Anna was in the process of scolding him, while Jess had crept in from behind to steal the last set of clean test tubes. Pamela and Muppy were doing nothing, as always, playing in the background during the midst of the chaos. Nikki was on the second floor, standing on tip-toe to get a book she needed for symbology, but found the effort to be in vain.

_"Some cat __**she**__ is,"_ Sulpher meowed, watching her from his perch below. _"She can't even grab a simple book."_

"Leave her alone," Vayne looked at his animal companion from out of the corner of his eye. He pulled his knees closer to his chest and got comfortable on the rug in the other room. When Sulpher finally padded back to the spot next to Vayne, the platinum haired boy resumed _his_ watch, several thoughts coming back to mind.

Flay was in his usual corner, switching between lifting weights and doing one-handed handstands, counting barely above audibility as he pushed up and down, his body undulating with each movement.

_"You've been staring at him all afternoon,"_ Sulpher licked his paw. _"I take it you haven't talked to him, yet?"_

Vayne gave a miserable sigh and buried his chin between his knees. "No. I just can't bring myself to do it. I know he's going to tell me to bug off."

_"He won't tell you that."_

"But he still won't give me the answer I want."

Sulpher moved from cleaning his paw to the rest of his body. _"And what about his teachers? Surely there's someone you can talk to."_

"Well…Mr. Zeppel's known him longest, so I _guess_ I could start there…"

_"It all depends on how badly you want to know."_

Vayne used his hands to push himself to his feet. "Yeah, you're right. I'll go ask Mr. Zeppel."

\/\/\/\/\/

"Come in," the teacher called out, shuffling through the papers on his desk.

"Um…excuse me…"Vayne poked his head slightly in through the door, nervously. Mr. Zeppel turned his head in the direction of the opening door. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Mr. Zeppel appeared taken off guard for a moment, but his face relaxed and fell into a smile. "But, of course, Vayne. What can I do for you? Is it about today's assignment?"

"No, I finished that already." Fumbling with his sleeve, Vayne shuffled forward, eyes darting between his teacher and the floor, "It's…about Flay."

Again, Zeppel gaped, and set the papers in his hands down on his desk. "Flay? What about him? …You didn't catch him cheating off of yesterday's exam, did you?"

"Huh?" Vayne's attention shot up. "N-No, it's nothing like that! I just…I just wanted…"

Sulpher brushed up against his master's leg. _"There's no need to be nervous, Vayne. Just ask him."_

The boy nodded, "This might sound a little awkward, considering the person in the situation, but please, answer my question to the best of your abilities, all right?"

The sudden formality made Zeppel uncomfortable, and he was unsure if he wanted this conversation to proceed any further. But, strangely enough, he merely said, "I'll do my best."

Those words propelled Vayne into action, "What can you tell me about Flay's parents?"

Speechless at first, the teacher could only blink and purse his lips into a line. Where on earth had _that _come from? And why would this be of any interest to anyone? Did Flay say something? Or, on the other hand, was it something that Flay had _not_ said? It was far too broad of a question to assume anything.

_"Seems like you stopped him in his tracks," _Sulpher observed. _"Say something, Vayne."_

"It's…about that parent night next week," Vayne hastily added. "It came up in a conversation and I…was just curious. I mean, it _is_ Flay after all."

"Well, I can't blame you for wanting to know, but I'm not really at liberty to disclose a student's personal life."

Vayne wanted to protest, but only said, "…I see."

"But even if that _were_ the case, I can't tell you anything because I really just don't know."

"…Oh?"

"Yes," Zeppel sighed and diverted his eyes to the ever-growing stack of papers on his desk. "Flay is…a special case. Normally, we have to have a guardian's permission to enroll a child into this academy. There _are_ exceptions, like yours, but Flay didn't have any parent sign him into this school."

"Really?"

"He flunked all of the entrance exams, but the Principal accepted him anyway, thinking that he could change that student's lifestyle. But Flay doesn't seem the _least_ bit serious about attending school, so why be here at all?" Zeppel shrugged and shook his head. "Last year, when we held Parent's Night, he never even invited them to come. Normal students will send letters and holiday cards to their families, but not Flay. I couldn't tell you the first thing that ran through his mind. Nor can I tell you anything about his parents. For all any of us know, he might not even have any."

Vayne sulked. "…I see."

"I'm sorry that I couldn't be of any help to you."

"And the Principal? Would he know anything?"

"When Flay was my homeroom student…well…he is _again_ now, but the first time, I mean. When he was my homeroom student, I was having difficulties back then with him. I went to the Principal, but he knows about as much as I've already told you."

Vayne, discouraged, turned around to face the door. "Thanks anyway, Mr. Zeppel. I'll be getting back, now."

"Vayne…" the boy turned around momentarily. "Why the sudden interest? It's not like Flay's someone you should be worried about, you know."

"I know. I think it's because we share similarities, I guess. I don't have any family, either."

"True, but we know what has happened to yours. Flay likes to draw on the secretiveness of his lifestyle. Don't let that influence you to be like him."

"I know, Mr. Zeppel. Thank you."

Vayne stepped out of the door and closed it. Falling back against it, he glanced down at Sulpher. "What a waste of time," he moaned. "I'm back to square one."

_"Don't get so upset,"_ Sulpher mewed. _"There are still some things we can do."_

"Like what?" the boy furrowed his brows together.

"What's on your mind there, Vayne?" Both heads whirled around to see a large "Defender of Justice" standing on the top step of the stairs next to Zeppel's office, his arms folded over his chest.

"I…uh…Hi there, Flay."

Flay accosted the other boy with a dangerous glare in his eyes. "So, asking the teachers about my personal life, eh?"

Vayne had never seen the other man so angry before. He cowered, his spine curling as he slid down the door. "I…uh…Flay…"

"You know…it's rude to sneak behind other people's backs, Vayne." Then, as quickly as it had come, the anger fled, and Flay tossed his head back, laughing, "But what could I expect from an arch nemesis like you? Trying to exploit my weaknesses, I see!"

Seeing that he _might_ be off the hook, Vayne held himself and forced a laugh, too, "Yeah, heh, heh, you know it, Flay. Guess you caught me."

"You're a sly one, Vayne. I have to keep on my toes at all times around you." But then, the laughter stopped, "Of course, let's be serious, here. It's bad-mannered to gossip about people, Vayne. Be sure that it doesn't happen again." Pivoting on one foot, Flay prepared himself to exit the scene, but Vayne's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Flay, why don't you want to talk about your family, anyway?"

Though his back was to Vayne, Flay made no attempt to run away. He gave a forced laugh and held two balled fists on his hips. "Vayne, one day you'll understand the life of the hero. Every hero has a weakness. If I were to just sit down over a cup of coffee with you and disclose my life, how many advantages would you have over me?"

Vayne's face drooped. "Well, yes, but…"

"Now then, there are other matters I must attend to. Stay out of trouble now." And with that, the self-proclaimed Defender of Justice was down the hall in a flash.

Vayne stared after him, dejected and, yet, confused.

"I let him get away," he announced after a moment. Sulpher just meowed.

\/\/\/

One week before the Cultural Festival and Parent's Day, thunderclouds had rolled in and the wind picked up. No one left their dorms without an umbrella and a pair of slick, rubber boots. Though the forecast had predicted blue skies and high temperatures, by mid-afternoon, it was raining.

Everyone was in the workshop when Jessica came thundering in, dripping from head to toe, and her clothes hung on her damp frame with an immediate heaviness. She was panting and red in the cheeks, her fists balled. Roxis looked up from his book on the second floor and smiled.

"I see you got caught in the rain," he said.

"They _never_ get the weather right!" she growled, a puddle appearing beneath her.

"Jess, please dry off! I just cleaned the floors!" Anna frowned, instant OCD overcoming her. She jumped to her feet and dashed to the girl's side, leading her to a "safe" corner, where she could drip, get the floors wet, and be okay.

Vayne was in a chair in the far corner of the room, Sulpher not far away. Jess quickly grabbed a part of her skirt and twisted it with her hands, wringing the water and watching it waterfall to the ground. Anna quickly grabbed a rag and began to scrub furiously at the floor.

"So," Pamela, who had been dressing up her teddy bear in another part of the workshop, began, "who sent out letters for Parent's Day?"

"Not me," Jess mumbled, sourly.

"I did," Roxis flipped a page in his book. "They'll probably just send the butler, like they always do."

"I did, too, for the sake of mental health," Nikki, who had been tucked away securely by the cauldron, leaned back and stretched. "But I really hope they don't come."

"I have no reason to send out one of those silly invitations," Muppy continued to clean his pot. There was a small speck of dirt that refused to come up, and he was getting frustrated. "It would end in disaster anyway, with no doubt."

"Same here," Anna chimed in. "But I'm not a senior, so I don't count."

Pamela shrugged, "I don't have any family, so I'm off the hook."

_I wonder if that makes her sad…_ Vayne perched his chin on his hand and looked to Sulpher. _I know it does for me._

"Anybody have any idea if Mr. You-Know-Who sent out an invitation?" Jess asked, taking off her waterlogged uniform top, leaving her in a sopping white undershirt.

Nikki began to file her long fingernails after a moment. "I'd give it a negative. The way he reacted the other day, I wouldn't be surprised if he steered clear of the whole thing."

"Oh, come now. Flay's not ashamed of his family," Pamela defended.

"I doubt that has anything to do with it." Standing to his feet, Roxis set his book aside and walked to the window, "I say, it's certainly raining cats and dogs outside. Be careful not to catch cold, Jess."

"I know, I know," the pink haired girl's teeth were chattering as Anna came back with a thick, wool blanket and wrapped it around the girl's shoulders.

"It's probably delayed the mailman's deliveries, too," Roxis added.

"What's that have to do with anything?" Vayne blinked, finally joining in on the group's conversation. He got up from his seat and moved to the other man's side by the window. Indeed, the rain was thick and bulleted to the ground. A few minutes of being out there, and one would be worse off than Jess.

Nikki dumped all of her shavings into a bucket next to the cauldron, prompting a glare that went unnoticed from Anna. "He's going around the school and delivering mail to all the seniors from their parents for a 'yay' or 'nay' to come to Parent's Day next week. Though, in this weather, it's been taking him all afternoon."

"I'm not in any hurry to get my letter," Roxis snorted and adjusted his glasses with two fingers. "Every time an event like this comes up, father is always too busy to attend. They'll send a butler instead, I'm sure."

"Come on, Roxis. What makes you say that?" Jess thoroughly dried herself, rubbing the blanket up and down her arms and legs and even through her hair. By the time she was finished, her pink pigtails were standing on end.

He turned around, rolling his eyes, "Because that _is_ what they do at every event." Then he sighed, "I wish, just for once, father would take time from his busy schedule to see the things I've accomplished. Is that so much to ask?"

Everyone stared at him and shook their heads slowly. He turned back to the window. Jess shook the rest of the water out of her hair and turned the blanket over to have the dry side against her. Huddling against it, she glanced around the now silent room. Anna was pretending to clean something while Muppy followed suit. Vayne was still staring at Roxis.

"So then," Nikki chirped, "if any of my family shows up, you can have them."

Roxis, stunned for a moment, realized that the beast-woman was talking to him, and gave her a look. "What? Why on earth would I want any of _your_ family?"

She shrugged, "So you'd at least have _somebody_ there. With thirty-four siblings, I can't keep count of them all."

"Then have somebody else do it. I'm not a babysitter. I'll just stick with the butler, thank you."

"Ha! Sucks for you both!" Jess taunted. "I _conveniently_ forgot to ask my parents, so I definitely won't be seeing them!"

"What's the big deal with you?" Nikki asked.

"Well…" the pink haired girl looked around the room. "Remember how I said that my parents never wanted me to attend the academy? I can see it now if they came. They would be begging me to come home, tell me I'm not cut out for this sort of work. Things like that." She shrugged, "I'd rather not deal with it."

"I think you're all being selfish," Anna's brows furrowed together. "This is a great event in your lives and you're going to let your parents miss out on it. I'm ashamed of you." Roxis, Nikki, and Jess all turned to each other.

"Selfish?" Roxis echoed. "Have you _not_ been listening to _anything_ we've been saying? If you want to yell at somebody, then go and find Flay."

Before Anna could come back with a witty retort, a knock came to the workshop door and all eyes turned as it opened and a man stepped in. He glanced around, adjusting the bulky and awkward bag on his back. In his hand was a stack of envelopes.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," he began and then held out the things in his hand. "These came for you, though."

Wordlessly, Anna, who was nearest to the door, approached the mailman, took the letters, and bowed her head in thanks. He left the same way he came and she turned, flipping through the envelopes. Everyone watched her as she distributed the letters to Roxis, Jess, and Nikki. They said nothing as they read the face of the envelope and Nikki used her claws to tear away at the top, while Roxis fished in his pocket for a letter opener. Jess waited until he was done with the letter opener and borrowed it from him.

Vayne was curious and studied their expressions as each read the letter they had received. Pamela and Muppy looked to each other and shrugged. Anna leaned over the corner of the alchemy table and waited. Vayne nudged Sulpher with the corner of his boot.

_"What?"_ Sulpher meowed.

"You're not asleep, are you?" his master asked.

_"Why does it matter if I am?"_

Vayne blinked. "Just curious I guess."

"Just as I thought," Vayne whirled his attention to Roxis, who simply tucked the letter into his coat pocket. "Father's away on business. They're sending Daryle instead."

"Is that the butler?" Vayne asked.

"Yes." Angrily, Roxis stormed over to the alchemy table, shooed Anna away, and began to concoct something. "And mother is busy entertaining some aristocrats from our neighboring city."

"Well, I'll have to say I'm jealous," dejectedly, Jess let the letter fall to her feet. "Mom and dad caught wind of the ceremony…_somehow…_and they wrote me, saying that they're disappointed that I didn't write and invite them."

"So…" Vayne waited a second and then asked, "Does that mean they're coming?"

She breathed out a sigh and nodded.

"That's not so bad," Nikki argued. "My parents are coming, too. _And _they're bringing the brats…unsurprisingly."

Sensing the tension, Anna scurried off. "I'll make some tea."

A moment later, another knock came to the door. Vayne glanced up and saw Mr. Zeppel poke his head in. His eyes scanned the area and when they found Vayne, he motioned for the boy to come forward. Vayne found himself complying with the orders and moved toward the door, Sulpher slowly trotting behind. Opening the door wider, Zeppel let the boy pass, along with the cat, and then shut it behind them.

Vayne watched the teacher for a moment, nervous, and his anxiety grew when he saw the fret in Zeppel's eyes.

"Mr. Zeppel…" Vayne saw an envelope in his hand and could feel his stomach twisting. "What's the matter?"

"I'm glad I found you instead," the teacher breathed. "I was originally looking for Flay, but I can't find him."

"Really? What are you looking for him for?"

Eyes darting warily from side to side, Zeppel leaned down and pushed the envelope toward Vayne. "Remember the other day when you came to my office to discuss his parents?" At the boy's nod, he continued, "Strangely enough, this letter came for him, but I know that Flay never sent an outgoing letter to his parents; we keep track of that kind of stuff. But…that's not all…"

When the teacher fell silent, Vayne lightly prodded him, curious. "What? What else?"

"There's a man in the principal's office right now asking for Flay. He's pretty somber, so I figure it's not good. I just happened to be there at the time, so I offered to take the letter and find him."

"But you came searching for me instead."

Zeppel nodded. "I'm sorry to put you in the middle, Vayne, but if it comes from you, then maybe Flay won't take it so badly."

"Huh? Take what so badly?"

"I have to get back to the principal's office now and take care of that visitor. Please, go and find Flay." Zeppel turned and scuttled down the hall, his purple robe rippling behind him.

Vayne stared at him and Sulpher let out a hiss, "Coward."

Vayne's face fell and he stared at the letter addressed to Flay. There was something horrible about this letter, and the alchemist in training was dying to know what it was.

"I'm gonna open this letter," he announced and started off toward the boys' dormitory.

\/\/\/

Meh…I really _did_ put some thought into what Flay's parents should be like, should they be alive at all. And also how it made Flay out to be who he is (I know Flay's in the next game as a teacher, but I have no idea if they even mention his past, so if they do, sorry that I'm getting it all wrong lol). Well…oh well. XD

Please RnR!

ML


End file.
